Food and music on the menu at Tarland

Tarland is gearing up for a busy weekend with its annual celebration of local food and traditional music.

The event, which is in its fifth year, will run from tomorrow (Friday) until Sunday.

The food and music festival will feature events for all throughout the village.

One of the musical highlights will be a headline concert on Saturday by top fiddle group Blazin’ Fiddles.

The festival will open tomorrow with a concert highlighted in the Aboyne and Deeside Festival programme, by the contemporary folk trio Project Smok, featuring firebrand whistle player Ali Levack, Old Blind Dogs’ Ali Hutton on guitar, and renowned bodhran player, Martin O’Neill.

The audience will be treated to a set from local fiddle player Paul Anderson, accompanied by guitarist Malcolm Jones, of Runrig fame. Harpist Susan Zappert, of Finzean School of Piping, and the Banchory Singers, will perform in Tarland Community Garden during Saturday afternoon.

A musical finale on Sunday will feature a ‘Battle of the Bands’, which is open to all groups and all genres of music.

The Tarland local market will be held in the MacRobert Hall on Saturday from 10am to noon with free entry.

It will showcase an exciting range of local food producers, plus teas and homebaking by Cromar Senior Citizens.

Tarland’s new eatery, ‘Angie’s Cafe’ will host a French bistro during Friday and Saturday evenings, featuring a menu of classic French cooking.

Meanwhile, food production and conservation will be discussed by an expert panel, including members of the local farming community, on Saturday.

Children will be entertained by foodie tricks from Divine Magic and storytelling, and will have the opportunity to go on a mini-beast hunt with the Aberdeenshire Council Ranger Service and Butterfly Conservation.

For full festival details visit http://www.tarland.org.uk/food-music-festival/.